Mr. J. Phillips’s Three Notices from Mexico, 65 
Three Notices by Mr. J. Phillips, and communicated by J. Taylor, 
Esq., ‘Treas. G.S., were then read. 
1. The first of these communications gives an account of the Cave 
of Cuernavaca or Cacaguamilpas, thirty-two leagues S.S.W. from 
the city of Mexico, or sixteen from the town of Cuernavaca. It is 
situated in a range of limestone hills, and is of vast extent. A 
descent of fifty feet conducts from the entrance to the floor of the 
cavern, which for some distance is tolerably level, though covered 
with the debris of the limestone to a considerable depth ; but the 
progress of the visitor is afterwards greatly impeded by huge piles 
of rocks apparently fallen from above. Enormous and fantastic sta- 
lactites and stalagmites abound on every side. At a spot where the 
cavern separates into two great branches, the height was estimated 
by means of rockets to exceed 200 feet; and the depth of the left 
branch is stated to be at least half a mile; but the right branch had 
not been explored. 
With reference to the statement of a writer on Mexico*, that he 
did not expect to see many caverns, if any, and that he had met 
with very little limestone, Mr. Phillips observes, that besides the 
great cavern of Cacaguamilpas, there are several in the district of 
El Doctor; and that limestone abounds in various parts of Mexico, 
occurring, besides the range of hills noticed above, at Atotomilco el 
Grande, north of the city of Mexico; at La Calera, on the road to 
Guanaxuato; also near Xeres in the state of Zacaticas, and at Bo- 
lanos in the state of Xalisco. Fossils are said by the author to be 
very rare in Mexico, but he obtained a species of Astrea in the 
limestone of El Doctor. 
2. The second notice was on the remains of elephants, and on an 
ancient causeway near Mexico. ‘The waters of the lake having 
permanently subsided to some distance from the Hacienda of Cha- 
pingo, the proprietor commenced a canal to restore the communi- 
cation. ‘Twelve feet below the surface an ancient causeway was 
discovered, and two or three feet lower the fossil elephant ; and other 
similar remains are said to have been afterwards obtained. Hum- 
boldt, in his ‘ Essai Politique,’ mentions the discovery of fossil bones 
of elephants in cutting the great drainage canal of Mexico; the only 
new fact therefore, the author states, which his communication con- 
tains, is the finding of the causeway,—an indication of difference of 
level in former times. 
3. The third notice contained an account of six specimens of 
pumice obtained in sinking a well near Perote in Mexico. The 
road from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico traverses an extensive 
tract of table-land, 7700 feet above the level of the sea, along the 
foot of the mountains which stretch out from the volcano of Orizaba 
and the Coffre of Perote. The water being exceedingly bad and 
brackish, a well was sunk to obtain better, at a new inn between 
Perote and Santa Gertrudes. The depth of well was sixty varas, 
* Silliman’s Journal, vol. xvi. p. 159. 
Phil. Mag. S. 3. Vol. 22. No. 142. Jan. 1843. F 
